


Amicability

by Rivulet027



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chance Meetings, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, POV Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tatooine (Star Wars), discussion of brainwashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:55:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23491273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: Obi-Wan and Dexter randomly run into each other on Tatooine. It changes a few things.
Relationships: Dexter Jettster/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 47
Collections: Space Swap 2020





	Amicability

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aurae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurae/gifts).



~ I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light. ~ Helen Keller

"My friend! It has been too long!" The boisterous greeting catches Obi-Wan's attention. At first he doesn't realize it's for him, but then Dex steps towards him, still greeting him loudly. There's a flare of horror that he's been found so easily. Then he finds himself worrying for Luke's safety. Except this is Dex and Obi-Wan is always happy to see him. He can't help the grin that spreads his face even as he scans around for danger.

It's only when Dex is close that Obi-Wan can sense that his enthusiasm is a cover for his surprise and worry. He steps close, obviously wanting to hug. All four of his hands clench and unclench as he continues smiling, but now his eyes too are darting around following where Obi-Wan is looking.

“I hadn’t expected to see you here,” Obi-Wan manages.

“Well I didn’t expect to see you!” Dex grins. It’s the truth. Dex is happy to see him, if startled and his worry now has an undercurrent of concern as he tilts his head, eyes scanning Obi-Wan up and down. 

Obi-Wan grins. There’s no danger from Dex. He steps closer, goes up on his toes so that he can hug Dex, lean in and whisper, “It’s Ben now.”

Dex laughs as he keeps the hug brief, more patting him on the back carefully than a hug. Part of Obi-Wan wants to lean into the contact. How long has it been since he touched someone? Part of Obi-Wan misses the way Dex would lift him up and hold him close. 

Dex steps back, hands still touching, sliding a little over Obi-Wan’s clothes as he shakes his head. “I knew it. I knew it. Not really, but I wanted to believe. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, though I can’t say I expected to see you all the way out here?”

Dex laughs again. “I didn’t expect myself to be out here, but times change and one has to move with the times, right?”

“Right.”

“Any place good to eat here? I feel like I should treat you to a meal,” Dex offers.

“There’s a cantina that serves a decent stew, nothing like your cooking I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan informs him. “I really can’t stay long either. I only came into town for a few supplies.”

He needs to leave with plenty of time to get home before dark. For all it seems there won’t be any sandstorms today, traveling after dark isn’t advisable. 

“Ah, so you’re saying there is an opportunity here?”

“Are you going to open a new diner?” It would be really nice to eat some of Dex’s cooking again. Obi-Wan wets his lips.

Dex claps him on the back. “It would be nice to stop moving around.”

The answer is non-committal and Obi-Wan can tell there is more Dex wants to say, but isn’t sure of the right words. It’s not like them to have an uncomfortable lull in conversation, but out here on the street in the middle of Mos Eisley it makes sense.

“I’ve gotten my supplies,” Obi-Wan tries. “I suppose I could make time for a meal.”

Dex pats Obi-Wan’s waist again and shakes his head. “You need more than mediocre stew my friend.” 

“I’m…” He really isn’t as well as he wants to reassure Dex he is. He’s mostly made peace with his new life, but Dex also hasn’t stopped touching him and all Obi-Wan wants to do is lean into those hands. 

Dex wraps an arm around his shoulder and another around his waist before pointing with his other two hands, “Let me show you where I’m docked. You can’t come in because we haven’t talked yet and doing so on the street seems to be asking for trouble. So come, let me go get a few supplies and while we walk you’ll let me talk you into letting me spend the night at your place.”

“My place?”

“Yes, you need a decent meal and I need to see that you eat something,” Dex explains. There’s more he wants to talk about, but he’s waiting till they have privacy.

“And why am I not allowed on your ship?”

“We’ll discuss that at your place.”

It’s suspicious. He should say no, but all Obi-Wan can sense from Dex is protectiveness and caring and not all of it is for him. Who would Dex be trying to protect from Obi-Wan? He debates with himself. He can’t do anything to jeopardize Luke’s safety, but he also trusts Dex.

“There’s no need to talk me into anything,” Obi-Wan decides.

Hours later with Dex puttering around in his tiny kitchen, Obi-Wan can’t help just watch him with fascination. He doesn’t know where to start their conversation. He’s still too happy to see Dex. It’s been so long since he saw a friendly familiar face.

“No,” Dex tells him as he brings burgers over to the table. “No distressing conversation just yet. You’ll ruin your digestion and you obviously need a few good meals.”

“Are you saying I’m too thin?”

“For a human,” Dex pauses as if considering his answer.

Obi-Wan shakes his head and starts eating. He makes an appreciative noise.

“I want to know who made that cheese,” Dex tells him. “It might be the best homemade cheese I’ve had in a long time. If I do open a diner here it’d be good to get as many local suppliers as possible.”

Obi-Wan stills. Does he say Beru gave him the cheese? He’s not sure what to reveal or not reveal.

“That wasn’t meant to be a difficult question,” Dex sighs. “First we’ll eat, then we’ll relax and talk.”

They eat in silence for a moment, but it’s strange. The two of them always talk. There’s always been something to say or learn from one another. Dex starts asking him for menu ideas and it makes for pleasant conversation as they finish eating. 

When they’ve finished cleaning up Obi-Wan says, “So what are you doing on Tatooine?”

Dex shrugs. “Coruscant...It’s not the same. If you’re not human, it was just safer to leave.”

“I’m so sorry,” Obi-Wan manages before he stares down at his hands lost for a moment in the guilt of not being able to help and wondering how much better things would be if he and the other Jedi hadn’t failed.

“This is not your fault,” Dex tells him, scooting a chair that just barely takes his weight close and wrapping two arms around Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan shakes his head, not able to make himself even look at Dex. “We trusted so many people that we shouldn’t have.” 

“Maybe only one or two,” Dex counters. Obi-Wan stills. Dex is certain of this and brimming with wanting to tell him something. Obi-Wan tilts his head, takes in the concern and worry on Dex’s face and isn’t sure how to respond.

“No, the clones killed so many,” Obi-Wan disagrees. It still stings. He thought he and Cody were close. He’d taken time to get to know each of the men he was working with. He tried to check in on them when he could. What kind of leader is he that he never even suspected they'd want to kill him?

“I don’t think it’s common knowledge yet, but I’m sure it will be one day. They were being controlled,” Dex tells him gently

“Controlled?” Obi-Wan isn't sure what to do with the flare of hope mixed with a dose of horror at Dex's words.

“They all changed so swiftly after Palpatine declared himself emperor. It didn’t make any sense. They all started wearing their armor without embellishments.”

Obi-Wan shifts so he can look at Dex. “But they pride themselves on their individuality and that’s how they show it.”

“They don’t have individuality anymore. They stopped using names. I used to have a few regulars who were clones and after they just stopped coming in. There was that bar too, just for them. The next day they all stopped going. It wouldn’t have been suspicious if it was a gradual decline, but they all just stopped.”

Obi-Wan tugs on his beard in distress. What had he and Yoda missed? Does Bail know? Dex rubs his back in a slow soothing motion. Obi-Wan takes a slow breath.

“Shortly after I left Coruscant I met a clone who wasn’t running around being a stormtropper. He said he got caught in a blast on Abafar. He woke up in a med center and got told that they’d removed what they thought was a tumor in his head. It turned out to be a control chip.”

Obi-Wan stares at Dex taking a moment to process what he’d just been told. He lets the touch of Dex’s hand comfort him as he sorts this through. He remembers the chips being discovered. They lost Tup, Fives, and later Kix over those chips. Why hadn't any of them realized that they were being lied to? Why hadn't they investigated further. Abafar means something to him too, the clone they’d lost there had been lost previously. Obi-Wan pushes himself to focus on that bit of information.

“Gregor’s alive?” Obi-Wan manages. “Cody and I went to Abafar to check. The reports we got indicated that he’d likely died in the blast and most of those were from droids, but we’d lost him once before and we had to be sure. We couldn’t find anything.”

Gregor had been one of his men. Artoo had been irate about Colonel Gascon’s handling of their finding and recruiting him to help them.

“He’s on your ship!” Obi-Wan realizes. “That’s why you made me wait outside.”

“I didn’t know how you’d react,” Dex admits. “It took the tiny Jedi I’ve been traveling with a long time to feel comfortable with him.”

“I imagine,” Obi-Wan manages. “Who else survived?”

“Katooni, she's young,” Dex informs him. “When I was getting my own ship and supplies together to leave Coruscant I was approached by two young men asking me to get her to safety. I offered to take all three of them on, but they declined. We’ve been moving ever since. I open a restaurant for a few days so that we can replenish our credits and keep stock on fuel. It's worked.”

“And now you’re here,” Obi-Wan smiles. He can’t check on Katooni tonight, but he and Dex can always head back to Mos Eisley in the morning. He’s not sure how he’s going to be able to take care of another person in his small hut, but he’ll figure something out. He'll also need to find a way to get a hold of Bail. If anyone he knows will have the resources to figure out how to help the clones it'll be Bail.

“I’m here. You’re here. Between the two of us I’m sure we can get a diner started, both my friends settled, and figure out your problems as well.”

“My problems?”

“You wouldn’t be staying in one place if you didn’t have a reason,” Dex tells him. “Eventually your reason will become my reason as well, but I’m not going to push you for that story tonight. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

“You’re awfully sure of yourself,” Obi-Wan stalls. He wants to tell Dex, but the fewer people that know about Luke the safer he is. Obi-Wan leans into Dex’s warmth. Maybe eventually he’ll tell Dex, but right now isn’t the time. 

Dex makes a comforting noise. It’s lulling.

“You’ll stay?” The thought of Dex staying, of not having to be so alone, fill Obi-Wan with longing. 

“I want to,” Dex says softly.

Obi-Wan frowns. “I’m sensing a ‘but’ here?”

“Seeing each other now and again is good for flirting and it brings me joy to see you happy even if our meetings were often fleeting,” Dex teases. “I fear that close daily contact means you’ll no longer be able to resist my charms.”

Obi-Wan laughs warmly, doesn’t move from where he’s pressed close to Dex’s side. “My dear Dex, are you trying to seduce me?”

“I have been trying for years.”

Obi-Wan makes a considering noise, letting himself sink into that familiar feeling between the two of them, as he takes one of Dex’s hands so he can kiss the knuckles. “I probably should’ve told you years ago that the feeling is mutual.”

Dex shifts, caressing Obi-Wan’s cheek with one hand, while another brushes over his neck. The hand around Obi-Wan’s waist tightens. The fingers of another hand brush over Obi-Wan’s lips as Dex says thickly, “It’s fortuitous that I found you then.”

Obi-Wan can’t help but agree.


End file.
